Sandra Steingraber
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Born: | 1959 Tazewell County, Illinois, USA |
|---|---|
| Occupation: | Biologist, science writer |
| Nationality: | American |
| Writing period: | 1996 to the present |
| Subjects: | ecology, cancer, fertility, pregnancy, toxicology |
| Influences: | Rachel Carson, Natalie Angier |
| Influenced: | Marla Cone |
| Website: | Sandra Steingraber's Official Website |
Sandra Steingraber (b. 1959) is an American biologist and author in the tradition of Rachel Carson. Steingraber writes and lectures on the environmental factors that contribute to reproductive health problems and cancer.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Steingraber was adopted as an infant, and she grew up in Tazewell County, Illinois. Her mother was a microbiologist and her father was a community college teacher. [1] Her parents inculcated in her an interest in sustainable development and organic agriculture from a young age. [2]
In her 20s, Steingraber developed bladder cancer. She was not alone; in several of her books, she describes an apparent cancer cluster in her hometown.[3]
After her cancer went into remission, Steingraber completed her undergraduate degree in biology from Illinois Wesleyan University. She worked for several years as a field researcher, eventually earning her doctorate in biology from the University of Michigan. Steingraber also holds a master's degree in English from Illinois State University.
Steingraber now teaches at Ithaca College, located in Ithaca, New York. She is married to Jeff de Castro, a sculptor and art restoration specialist.
[edit] Awards and Honors
Ms. Magazine named Steingraber its "Woman of the Year" in 1997, following the publication of Living Downstream. Two years later, she won the Will Solimene Award for Excellence in Medical Communication from the American Medical Writers Association. In 1999, she spoke before the United Nations on the topic of breastmilk contamination. In 2001, she earned the Rachel Carson Leadership Award. [4] In 2006, Steingraber was awarded a Heroes Tribute by the Breast Cancer Fund.[5]
[edit] Books by Steingraber
- The Spoils of Famine: Ethiopian Famine Policy and Peasant Agriculture (Cultural Survival Report 25) (1988, co-author), which raised issues of ecology and human rights in Africa.
- Post-diagnosis (1995), a volume of poetry on living with cancer.
- Living Downstream: An Ecologist Looks at Cancer and the Environment (1997), which proposed a relationship between cancer registry data and toxics-release inventory data.
- Having Faith: An Ecologist’s Journey to Motherhood (2001), which explored fetal toxicology and genetics with respect to Steingraber's own pregnancy.
[edit] References
- ^ Sandra Steingraber (2001). Having Faith: an Ecologist's Journey to Motherhood. Perseus.
- ^ Sandra Steingraber. The Ecology of Pizza. Retrieved on August 31, 2006.
- ^ Sandra Steingraber (1997). Living Downstream: an Ecologist Looks at Cancer and the Environment. Addison-Wesley.
- ^ Steingraber's website. Retrieved on August 31, 2006.
- ^ Ithaca College's Sandra Steingraber Receives High Honor From Breast Cancer Fund. Retrieved on August 31, 2006.
